Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/199

 oysters, mussels, and meal into a broth. The dried oysters which had been carefully smoked were a common form of food, and subjected to this treatment could be kept for a long time.

In preparing maize for consumption, it was the custom of the Indians to steep it in hot water for a period of twelve hours, and then to pound the grain in a mortar until a meal was made, which was sifted in a small basket as a substitute for the European sieve, the grains which did not pass through being again pounded in a mortar and undergoing the same subsequent treatment. The meal, mixed with hot water, was kneaded into a consistent mass, and then rolled into balls and cakes, which were put into a pot of hot water and thoroughly boiled. Or they were taken and laid on a smooth stone to harden, and afterwards, without having been boiled, were covered with leaves and then deposited in the open fireplace, the hot ashes drawn over them, and finally live coals. When fully cooked, they were withdrawn from the embers and cleansed. Instead of converting the grains into meal, the Indians frequently boiled them into a broth or porridge, which has kept its original name of hominy to the present day. A dish of hominy and beans was considered to be a special delicacy. The cakes that were cooked in the ashes also retain their Indian name, with a slight mutilation, appones having been contracted into pones.

The custom which the Indians followed in eating their meals was very simple; a mat was spread on the ground, and on this the dish was placed, the broiled fish and the roasting ears being laid near at hand. Roasted flesh was always served separately from broiled, and bread and